It turns out we live in a universe where Vivian Ward and Miles Bron are cousins. Yes, that’s right, Julia Roberts and Edward Norton, two of Hollywood’s greats, are related.
In the season nine premiere of celebrity genealogy series Finding Your Roots, which aired Tuesday on PBS, Roberts and Norton found out that they share similar DNA, likely derived from a shared distant relative, as host Henry Louis Gates Jr. informed the Academy Award-winning actress.
“You and Ed share a long identical stretch of DNA on your ninth chromosomes. This means that you two inherited this shared DNA from a distant ancestor, somewhere in the thicket of that family tree of yours.”
The two were shocked to learn about this remote connection, with Norton having one particular grievance. Feigning indignation, the Glass Onion actor joked “How come I didn’t get the teeth and the smile?.”
Norton might not have inherited the same emblematic good looks, but the two sure share the same incredible acting talent. Whether or not it is thanks to that ninth chromosome is anyone’s guess.
Although they both began their careers around the same time in New York City, Roberts is a Georgia native, while Norton was born in Boston, Massachusetts. They have never worked together, despite being two of the most celebrated actors of their generation.
Three times Oscar nominated, Norton has recently enjoyed a career rebirth playing Elon Musk-esque character Miles Bron, a self-absorbed whimsical millionaire, in Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. In turn, Roberts’ recent Ticket to Paradise – a return to rom-coms alongside frequent collaborator George Clooney – received lukewarm praise.
Could there be a future where Vivian and Miles meet? We would certainly love to see Julia Roberts in the next Knives Out film, or maybe Edward Norton could hop on an eventual Pretty Woman sequel?